Defective string?

I just put on a new set of nickel-plated Blue Steels on about 2 weeks ago. The E string sounds dead, while the other strings still have 'zing'. Is this just something to be expected, or could the string be defective?

Did you make sure to "unwind" the string after you got done putting it on? I had a set of Pedulla's that the E and A sounded like crap! I was majorly bummed, but then unwound the string about a whole turn off of the tuning machine. The pulled the string back so it turned on it's own, and relieved the bit of twist that was there from the stringing process. Problem solved! Good as new! So now when I put a set on, I give the strings 2 turns in the direction of the windings to "tighten" them up. Sometimes the sound is too brilliant, but they calm down in a week.